Elevator



Oct. 8, 1946. T J. DUNLOP ETAL 2,408,753

' ELEVATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1943 s Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES: INVENTORS James flan/0,0 and W? W I (e/727i: A? Piss/e7:

TT Y Oct. 8', 1946. J. DUNLOP ET AL ELEVATOR File d Dec. 29, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,0 mid, Zezm/ lE Risa/e2:

ATT

INVENTORS Ja mes Dun/0 WITNESSES:

Och l946- J. DUNLOP ETAL 2,408,763

ELEVATOR I Filed Dec. 29, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig .3 v w 36,

INVENTOR 5 Patented Oct. 8', 1946 V damages" V ELEVATOR I James lju nlop,. ;Ridgewood, and- Lennie it; Rissler f Hohokus, .N. J., assignors, bymesne assignments, to Westinghouse Electric Coitfioration, 7 East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsy1- Vania- Application'December-29, 1943-, SerialNo; 516,046

Claims. (01.187 95) I Our. invention relates to elevators and more It also an object" to provide an elevator particularly to the use of shock absorbing devices platform safety guide'shoe which. shall be simple for'preventing injury to elevators. construction; positive in operation; and which In atypical airplane carrier ship provided with may be easily manufactured; installed, and main a deck edge elevator for transferring." airplanes 5 tained ready for'shock' absorbing oneratiofi; to and from its flight deck the flight deck over- Foi aibettef understanding" of the invention; hangs'the edge of the Ship about '16 'feet and out of reference maybe had to the accompanying draw this overhanging part of the deck. is-notched a in in 'W I V space'for' the elevator platform which is about 60 is a View inside elevation, l"king'iin feet long and 34 feet Wide and which weighs ap- 0 the outboard direction from the interior of a proximately fiotohs. The outboard portion of I snide: ai deck edgeeievator,embouymgourin the'platf orm extends approximately 18 feet be vent en; ii 1 fth guide b S wind the'ov'erhanging' edge of the flight deck Section,

The guide rails for-the platform are mounted on Fig. 2 is an enlargedview m" topielevatiori of the outside face of the ship hull and'theplatoneof'the guide shces'inustratedin Figi'l, form is suspended and operated in the guide rails Fig; 3 is an enlarged; View in side elevation and bya plurality of hoisting ca'bles whichlpas fl partially in cros's'secti'ori of the giii'de'shoe 'showrl sheaves mounted on'vthe underside of the overin Fighanging part of thed'eck' and which areattached e- 4 enlarged view fi oss s tion of he to the'fore and aft ends ofe the platform.- The b fi 'b 3} platform is suspendedentirely by. its hoisting Fig; 5 i a- V WtakII 0n the l fie V V of Fig cables'a'nd is not counterweighted. and I It In elevators of this character, many diflicult Fig. 6 is aview taken on the line VI-VI of operating conditions are encountered. For in Fig. 5. v

stance; when the ship heels over 20; the elevator Althugh e ifivefitiofi iiillu'stiatediIi 0011mm" platform may be submergedin the water.- I fl-the $1011 with fi elvatofi for a rpm speed ofthe" ship? is high,,.the water drag will ers n, it y be used Connection with tend'to tear the platform ofithe side of the ship. yelevetor o other large body in which it 'i ThB water drag in the fort vand aft necessary plOtdt) 'th fidm more than directionsundersuch circumstancesmaybe more predtl'mified f I than the guide shoes on the platform cann stand; Referring 0 13 Specifically w the drawings; thus resultingin damage to the'guid Shoes a we have illustr'ateda deckedge elevator having the platform'or the elevator structure.- a platform posed between lana of guide One object of our invention-ism provide a rails ll and'l2 mounted on' the outside of 'a's'hip shock absorbingmea'ns for an elevator platform hulln y e portion of whichis ow guiding loadsunti'l they, reach. a predetermined and lowered between a main. deck (not shown) value and if the guiding'load's .inerwseb and a; flight deck l5 'by'a'plurality' of hoisting that value to absorb them with an. increasing a cableslfi' and" IT attached to its. fore and aft'ends sis'tan'ce and finally transfer themto thestrue- 40 by itches mend 1'9. The hoistin 'cables may be ture' in which theplatforni is mounted when-they op d by y suitable s c as hyincrease beyond a second predetermined value;- dr 'ul b en ine like t at illustrated a d d s'c d Another object is to' provide a g'uide shoefor i e g application l'N ,9 elevator platforms which will safely guide the 1943. and assigned the W st ng movementsof the platform while-it is in normal ho E Elevator Company operation'an'd' which will absorb additional forces The 'i onn fl' m v'b t ucted of seemto which the platformma :be subje fied withbflt less steeltubing, structural steel sections an-dsteel being damaged itself and iivithout permitting any name welded .together'in bridge 'likeiforin' to form damageto the platform or the structure in which a relatively light but stron ruc re 20. it operates; The guide rails H and I! are provided. with A further object isftd provide avguidirig means channeled faces,- 2| and 22 facing each other and foraship; elevator platfo'rniwhieh will absorb exare mounted onbacking p tes 23, 23a, 24 a d cessive shocks to the'platform andp'ermi't it to 4a. T e bec ep secured to the ip 1 settleslowly and'firmlyagainst the ship, struchull by a plurality of horizontal brackets 25 and tuie without'having a battering-ram effect on the z's'a which are welded thereto to provide a strong shin'whentheshocks'exeeed a: predetermined supp rt for the guiderails I I I value." The platform is; guided'in the guide rails by 3 four roller type guide shoes 21, 28, 29 and 30. The guide shoes 27 and 29 are mounted one above the other on the aft end of the platform for engaging the channel 21 in the guide rail H. The .guide shoes 28 and ware mounted one above the other on the fore end of the platform" housing 32, so that it will run between the side faces of the channel 2| to control the platform athwart ship. Renewable hardened steel strips 38 and 39 are mounted on the side-walls of the channel to reduce the amount of wear.

The guide roller 34 is disposed to engage the inner face of the channel 2i to prevent end movement of the platform and is rotatably mounted on a pin 4| disposed in the forked end of a round shaft 42, slidably disposed in the lower cylindrical portion 43 of the housing 32.

The end roller 34 is biased into engagement with the inner face of the channel 2| by 'a'coiled compressionspring 44 disposed between the central face of'a cavity 45in the rear-end of the roller shaftand the inner face of a cap 46, which is mounted on the rear end of the cy1inder'43 by a plurality of bolts 41. A similar spring is mounted back" of each of the other end rollers to bias them'into c'ontact'with the guard rails'and to centralize the platform between the guide rails. The springs are selected with a steep characteristic to balance the weight ofj'the platform, so

4 platform strikes the water, the Water drag thereon mayexert a maximum end thrust as high as 800,000 pounds. A practical guide shoe can not be made which will stand more than approximately 50,000 pounds. Hence it will be apparent that it isnot practical to'build'the guides and rollers strong enough to take the end thrusts and particularly the twisting moment that develops when the platform dips into a wave when the ship is movingwith speed. If the guide parts were made so that they would take all end thrusts, they'would be so heavy as to require a heavier platform which, in turn would require a heavier engine, etc., the whole construction becoming impractical. Therefore, we have so constructed and mounted the striking bar and the stop bar that the stop bar will bend when the end thrust exceeds a predetermined value and thus limit the stress to a predetermined amount, that can be exerted up to the point where the excessive thrust is taken by slipper blocks designed to withstand the force.

The striking bar 56 is mounted on the'rearend of the shank 54 by a press fit and a pin 58.

and is secured in that position by a pair of brass screws 60 which pass'through its ends into the that they will absorb the normal end thrusts of the platform.

The shaft 42 is prevented from rotating in the body 32 by a pair of fins 48 on the inner side of the cap which extend into slots 49 on the end of the shaft, so that the end roller 34 will always track in a vertical direction in the channel 2|. A pair of bolts 5i and'52 pass loosely through the cap 45 and screw into the rear-end of the shaft 42'; The bolts 5| and 52 are used only during assembly to hold the spring compressed until the platform is properly ali'ned with the guide rails. After the platform is correctly positioned in the guide rails, the bolts 51 and 52 are'removed and watertight plugs are inserted in the holes. The spring is thenfree to press the roller against'the rail." W Inbrder to limit the rearward movement of the 'end roller when the end thrusts of the platform reach a value suflicient to compress the spring 44 a predetermined'distance, we have provided'a projectionor 'shank54 on the rear end of the shaft 42 and tipped it with a hardened striking bar 56 disposed to engage a bar 57 in the rear end of the cylinder when the end roller is forced inwardly a predetermined distance. parts are so constructed and mounted as to provide a normal space or clearance of say oneeighth inch between the striking bar and the bending bar for permittingthat much spring biased play of the end roller during normal conditions.

The normal end thrusts of the platform will be taken care of by the compression spring and the engagement of the striking bar with the stop bar. However, if the ship heels or rolls while moving at high speedtosuch extent that-the The cap. When the force exerted by the platform on the guide shoe exceeds a predetermined value, the striking bar will be forced against the center of the bending bar and bend it into the space 6], thus relieving the strain on the end roller.

The bending bar 51 is so selected as to size and strength that it will bend and permit the end roller 34 to compress the spring 45 more than one-eighth inch only when a predetermined dangerous pressure tends to move the platform endways; It is also desirable to provide for increasing the resistance of the bending bar as the bending continues. Therefore, the bearing edges of the shoulders 49 for the bending bar are rounded so that the span of the bending bar decreases at it bends. After a bending action of the bending bar, its condition may be readily detected by the looseness of the end roller in operation and the bent bar may be easily replaced by removing the cap 46 and substituting a new bar for the old one. In a given installation the rounded edge may be made with a one-sixteenth inch radius and the bending bar will reach its yield point at approximately 29,000 pounds and attain a threefourths inch deflection at approximately 57,000 pounds. While these measurements and weights given so far have been taken from an existing installation, it is to be understood that other installations of this invention may vary considerably in their measurments, etc., from those here given.

The guide shoes 28, 29 and 30 are constructed in the same manner as the guide shoe 2'L' It is desirable to have the end thrust of the platform transferred from the bending bar to the ship structure as the force of the thrust approaches the limit for which the bending bar is designed. In order to accomplish this, we have I mounted a plurality of slipper blocks, 65, E6

and 61 (Fig. 1) on the platform ID in 'position'to engage the backing'plates 24' and 24a mounted on the brackets 25 and 25a at the side of the ship as .the bending bars reach their limits of defiection; The slipper blocks 64 .(Fig. 2) ,are dis areosrz'cs toengage-the backingmlatexz lv .onithebracketscfl' when thegendithrnstiof ithe platform approaches theqdeflecting limiter thezbending'baru 'Ihe slip e per blocks? 65, ,"66 and; .61: are similar to the slipper block. 64 and are mounted adjacent to theguide: shoes 28, 29 and 30, respectively by beamsJBQ'a', 69b'and- 690011117118 platform. frame: The location-:of theslipperiblocks at theitpoints indicated inthezdrawings give. them-alow leverage-err the ship structureipso. that.-theya can withstand:.the forcesinvolved;

If the platform is moving :up" or'downwhen' the slipper blocks:engagetheplates; 2 5, they will slide along itheiplates I Whilezresting: th'e-endtithrust of the: platform :a'gainstgther shirt. The distance-he tweemthe slipper block's andthetplates'should be approximately, e ualrto: the: deflection of the bending;= here so: thatithexend; thrust of the plat form will be transferred to the ship just as' th'e' bending barsrreachrtheir greatest resistance to the end thrust.. V

Fromzthe:foregoing;description, it will" be ap-- parent. that a with the: ship"- in normal operation in normal seas; the normal endthrusts of the platform on the tend rollers in its gui'de shoes will beabsorbed' by:the compressionsspringsl M and the springswill tend to. centralize: theplatform between the :guide rails'..' lit w'ill. also be apparent thatii an" end: thrust-10f the latform reaches a predetermined value" at ceither end: of the platform, it-will=compressathessprings at that end to a point where'the: striking bars thereat will engage thebendingbars backrof them and limit the rearward movement: :ofr the end rollers; In this case .theforce-of theendithrust; say, 11,400 pounds, for example, is absorbed by the-springs.

If, the shimzwlnle'moving forward at high speed,

rolls over until thevplatfor m dips into the water, 1

thesfresultingwaterdra may apply to the platform a force: greater than the end rollers in the aft guide; sho'escan stand Without being dam agedw Assuming thatthe force-of the-water drag increases beyond the predetermined forcenecessary te -move the 'endrollers to their rearward limit" and reaches a second predetermined value,

say, 29,000 pounds (theyieldpoint of theibending bar-under consideration); then the striking bars will rdeflectithe bending I barsand that deflecting action "of the bending bars willah'sorb" much of the forceoffthe water drag; As the fcrceof the water drag increases, the b'ending bars will provid'e an increasing resistance to' the end thrust of the platforms because the span of'the bars. is decreasing by reason ofthe roundediedges' of'the shoulders on which they are: mounted and thus an increasing absorption: of the "end thrust by the bendingbarsoccursl' I Assuming now thatthe end thrust created by the water dragincreases still further; say, beyond 50,000 pounds, then as the bending bars near their deflecting limit, the slipperblocks at the aft end "of the platform :will' move into contact with the backing-plate '2 4a and thus transfer the end thrust of the platform totheship structure. From this it will be apparentthat we have provided for absorbing various degrees of end thrust forces of the platform until they exceeda predetermined value andthat-when they exceed that predetermined value, theyare transferred to the ship structure without shock or a battering ram effect bythe platform on the ship;

Although we haveillustrated and described only one specific embodiment of our invention, changes and modifications therein may be made without departing from its spirit and scope. Furthermore,

l lo

it "should; bei: understood:- that l the dimensions;

, weights vetc.,v noted; the description" are given merely as :examplesian'dare: notintended to limit the application of ithe'invention in any manner; We claim asour invention: 7 1; A guidexshoe for. afplatforrn. co risingia housing; an end guide 'mem'berslidably: disposed in thehousingmeansforibiasing the guide.mem-= f ber outwardly,--and a bar seated across a pair 'ot shoulders in the rear' of the housing for limiting the inward movement of the: guide =member',"said bar having a predetermined failurepoint at which it will be deflecteduponthe applicationoffa' pl 'e determined inward pressure by the guide members 2'; guides-hoe for a platform comprising-a housing; an end guide member slida-bly disposed in the housing, means for biasing the guide-meme housing, with a cylindrical opening, an-'endguide I member slidabl'y' disposed in the cylindrical opening, means for preventingrotation of the guide member in theop'ening; mean for biasingthe guide member outwardly, and a bar di'Sposed i'nthe inner end or the cylindrical openin'g' f'or umiting the inward movement of the; guide member; said bar having apredeterm-in'ed failure point-at which it will be'deflected' when the rearward movement of the guide memberexceeds apredetermined value. 1

4. Inan elevator, apair of guide rails,a'-platform disposed between theguide rails, a guide mounted on each end of the platform imposition to engage the guide rail thereat forgui'ding the platform between the guide rails, a means: for biasing each guide toward the guide rail adjacent thereto and for absorbing the end thrust or tne platformupto a predetermined'pressure, and" a substantially non-resilient bar for limiting-the rearward movement of each guide to. apredetermined distance when said end thrust pressure ex ceeds said predetermined pressure, and fonper= mitting a further rearward movement of that guide onlywhen the end thrust pressure exceeds a second predetermined pressure sufficient to permanently deform the bar for providing aprede termin'ed" resistance to said further rearward movement of each guide. I Y

5'. In a deck edge elevator for a ship, a pair of guide rails, a platform disposed between the guide rails, a guide mounted on each end of the platform in'position to engage the associated.guide rail for guiding: the platform; a means associated with the guide for absorbing the end thrust ofthe plat form up to a predetermined pressure; a bending bar associated with: the guide forabsorbing t the end thrust of the platform when'it' eizceeds 'sai d predetermined pressure up to a second predeter mined pressure, and a sli'p plat'e" mounted on the I ship at each end of the platform forapplying the form, an upper guide shoe housingand a lower guide housing mounted one'achend of "theplatforn'i,a guide member slidably mounted in each guide housing, with its outer end disposed in position to engage the guide rail adjacent thereto, for guiding the platform,a biasing mean mounted in each guide housing for biasing the guide member thereof toward the adjacent guide rail, and for absorbing the end thrust of the platform up to a predetermined pressure, a bending bar disposed on a pair of shoulders in each housing for limiting the rearward movement of the guide member when the end thrust exceeds said predetermined pressure, said bending bar being constructed with a predetermined yield p int so that it will be deflected when the end thrust pressure exceeds a second predetermined value and said shoulders having rounded bearing edges for the bar to decrease its span as it bends and thereby provide an increasing resistance to further bending of the bar, a plate mounted on the ship at each end of the platform, and a slipper block mounted on the platform in position to engage the plate adjacent thereto when the bending bar is deflected a predetermined distance for resting the platform against the ship structure when the end thrust pressure exceeds a third predetermined pressure.

7. In a deck edge elevator for a ship, a pair of guide rails, a platform disposed between the guide rails, means for raising and lowering the platform, an upper guide shoe housing and a lower guide, housing mounted on each end of the platform, a shaft slidably disposed in each guide shoe housing, an end roller mounted on the outer end of each shaft in position to engage the guide rail adjacent thereto for guiding the platform, a spring mounted in each guide shoe housing for biasing the shaft and roller thereof toward the adjacent guide rail, and for absorbing the end thrust of the platform up to a predetermined pressure, a bending bar disposed on a pair of shoulders in the housing for limiting the rearward movement of the shaft and roller until the end .thrust pressure exceeds a second predetermined value, said bending bar being constructed with a predetermined yield point so thatit may be deflected when the end thrust pressure exceeds said second predetermined value, a plate mounted on the ship at each end'of the platform, and a slipper block mounted on each end of the platform in position to engage the plate adjacent thereto when the bending bar is deflected a predetermined distance and thereby rest the platform against the ship structure when theend thrust pressure exceeds a third predetermined value.

8. In a deck edge elevator for a ship, a pair of guide rails, a platform disposed between the guide rails, means for raising and lowering the platform, an upper guide housing and a lower guide housing mounted on each end of the platform, a shaft slidably disposed in each guide housing, an end roller mounted on the outer end of each shaft in position to engage the guide rail adjacent thereto, for guiding the platform, a spring mounted in each guide housing for biasing the shaft and roller thereof toward the adjacent guide rail and for absorbing the end thrust of the platform up to a predetermined pressure, a striking bar mounted on the rear end of each shaft, a bending bar disposed on a pair of shoulders in each housmg for engagement by the strikingbar therein to 8 limit the rearward movement of the shaftand roller when the end thrust pressure exceeds'a predetermined value, said bending'bar being constructed with a predetermined yield point so that it may be deflected when the end thrust pressure exceeds a predetermined value, and a slipper block mounted on each end of the platform in position to engage a portion of the ship structure when the bending bar is deflected a predetermined distance for resting the platformagainst the ship structure when the end thrust pressure exceeds a predetermined amount.

9. In a deck edge elevator for a ship, a pairof guide rails, a platform disposed between the guide rails, an upper guide housing and a lower guide housing mounted on each end of the platform,a shaft slidably'disposed in each guide housing, an end roller mounted on the outer end of each shaft inposition to engage the guide rail adjacent thereto for guiding the platform, a spring mounted in each guide housing for biasing the shaft and roller thereon toward the adjacent guide rail and absorbing the end thrust of the platform up to a predetermined pressure, a striking. bar mounted on the rear end of each shaft, a bend-' ing bar disposed on a pair of shoulders in each housing for engagement by the striking bar-therein to limit the rearward movement of the shaft and roller when the end thrust pressure exceeds a predetermined value, said bending bar being constructed with a predetermined yield point so that it may bend when the end thrust pressure exceeds a second predetermined value and said shoulderhaving rounded bearing edges for the bar to decrease the span of the bar as it bends and thereby provide an increased resistance to further bending of the bar, and a slipper block mounted on each end of the platformin position to engage a portion of the ship structure when the bending bar is deflected a predetermined distance for resting the platform against the ship structure when the end thrust pressure exceeds a predetermined amount.

l0. In a deck edge elevator for a ship, a-pair of gulde'rails, a platform disposed between the guide rails, a guide housing mounted on the platform, a guide member slidably mounted in the guide housing, with its outer end disposed in position to engage the guide rail adjacent thereto, for guiding the platform, a biasing means mounted in the guide housing for biasing the guide member thereof toward the adjacent guide rail and for absorbing the end thrust of the platform up to a predetermined pressure, a bending bar disposed on a pair of shoulders in the housing for limiting the rearward movement of the guide member when the end thrust pressure exceeds a predetermined value, said bending bar being constructed with a predetermined yield point so that it will be deflected when the end thrust pressure exceeds a second predetermined value and said shoulders having rounded bearing edges for the bar to decrease its span as it bends and thereby provide an increasing resistance to further bending of the bar, a plate mounted on the ship, and a slipper block mounted on the platform in position to engagethe plate adjacent thereto when the bend ing bar is deflected a predetermined distance for resting the platform against the ship structure when the end thrust pressure exceeds a predetermined amount.

JAMES DUNLOP. L. R. RISSLER'. 

